Recommendations on how to stop smoking marijuana and what symptoms to watch for

Quantum · Newbie Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 5

In case there’s any confusion, physical withdrawals are very real coming off pot, but not everybody is susceptible for many factors. I would think that anyone that gets high on a weekly basis would have some noticeable symptoms. And certainly daily smokers can expect problems.

I’ve been smoking weed for 30 years and I started when I was 19. I smoked anywhere between 1-6 hits everyday and this is the first time I decided to stop smoking, I decided that the pot has ruined my social life and now that I’m almost 50, I’m starting to worry about my lungs and future mental powers. (I also read that pot smokers are more prone to metal disorders later in life.) I’m a successful computer designer, but I always needed the pot to help relieve my anxiety at the end of the day.

6 weeks before stopping, I made sure that I only took only one hit per day. (Good stuff) Then I slowed down to one hit every other day for about 3 weeks. Then 10 days ago I stopped completely, and it has been rough. I think because I slowed down gradually, my appetite has not been affected at all as compared to everybody else’s experience, but here is what I immediately noticed.

Insomnia – I got about 5 hours a night, some bad dreams, some good ones, but the problem is they are so long and so vivid. I must not be getting my REM slept I suppose.

Sore all over – hands, calves, neck, back. Just about everywhere, must be the stress as it started all of a sudden. Weird electric like surges going through my body. I’ve been having tingling in my fingertips, but that might be related to my hunched over posture and back as I’ve been weak and tired from poor slept.

Extreme irritability – such as cursing very loud in the car because red lights are too long. (And I never curse.) But, the good news, within seconds I tell myself ‘no big deal’. This had NO effect on any of my relationships with people, but I was not a heavy smoker so its probably not a good time for serious discussions. Also, no heavy discussions before going to bed.

Talking too quickly – I found myself interrupting and talking over people before they finished their sentence. This causing more anxiety in me that I could feel growing the more I talked. Consider making conversions short with people.

Heart rate – I think my heart rate is about 15 beats per minute higher as I think my general level of stress is higher. I had only one panic attack about 10 years ago, and over the past 10 days, I started to have a few minor ones.

Also, I thought I’d mention that I have been reading an incredible amount each day since I stopped smoking. 8 hours a day as compared to 3 hours a day when I was high. This is common as reports indicate that people that stop smoking weed, they often take on more challenging reading and studying tasks.

RECOMMENTATIONS TO CONSIDER FOR TRYING TO STOP SMOKING WEED:

#1 Don’t stop cold turkey! Reduce your consumption in a couple of stages over 6-8 weeks. I had no problem doing this once I made the commitment to myself. Measure and ration it out. If you are a heavy smoker and you stop suddenly, you are making it much harder on yourself and it will dramatically affect your life and job, and could easily lead to a panic attack, a doctor’s visit, and other problems.

#2 Exercise – the common standard walking amount is 10,000 steps per day. Do it 3-4 times a week while you’re feeling bad and I’ll guarantee it will help. However, consider a walking buddy as you might be feeling paranoid.

#3 Only drink one small cup of coffee in the morning of a weak mix. This will dramatically cut down on panic attacks, shortness of breath, jitters, and heat palpitations. Start reducing your coffee consumption about 3 weeks before you stop smoking weed. No expresses or lattés!

#4 Drink lots of complex carbohydrates, such as juices. Cranberry juice supposedly strips out the internal lining of the bladder. I would think a variety would be best. But, watch out, some juices are far from 100% pure. I think I also read something about milk being good because of the vitamin D.

#4 Eat lots and lots of salads as your stomach will be churning and gassed up. If you ever thought about eating real healthy, this is time in your life to start.

#5 Consider moving over to brownies to taper off your addiction. If you don’t want all the oil and fat from brownies, you can eat weed directly, but first cut it up and heat it in the oven for 20 minutes at 160 degrees. (Decarboxylation) It takes about 200-250% more to get the same effect as smoking it.

#6 Have everything organized before hand, a plan. Have your house clean, your bills paid off, and don’t think your going to get a lot done during your detox time. You’re going to feel crazy at time, heart racing, achy, and just feeling sour in general. I found myself getting compulsive about thing, like writing this helper for you guys!

#7 Have lots of entertainment ready such as DVD’s, games, and other distractions. You’re not going to feel too inspired at this period. I ended up watching youtube for hours along with TV and movies.

#8 If you think you will have severe reactions, consider getting a short term (30 day) prescription of Alprazolam/Xanax (similar to Valium but much cleaner and much shorter half life) as this will greatly help mellow you out, prevent panic attacks, and it should help your stomach because it relieves stress. I would highly consider this if you’re already prone to high anxiety like me. I have a well respected doctor and he knows about my weed issues.

#9 Try to stay around people and situations where you can’t get high. Don’t be alone after a hard day of work with a bag sitting in the drawer. Also, it’s probably better to stop smoking during the summer months. You also might find that you will spend less time with your toking buddies and you might come to the conclusion that there is not as much in common with them anymore as a lot of your past activities revolved around getting high and acting silly and wasting time. You also might notice that you listen to less music.

#10 According to the research that I found, the symptoms last from 10 to 26 days and the worse is around the forth day. Consider your next vacation to line up?

Good luck...

signalship · Newbie Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 2

Blessed greetings to you. You have a good spirit for taking the time to share with positive intent your message and journey. We have a great deal in common. After cruising all the various web advisors and profiteers, your words came across very clear and strong with all the intent of your conviction. Many thanks. Am also in a creative field, and am also beginning this journey. If you check this post page, would love to exchange some thoughts, advice, and experience. How have you progressed, what is your relationship to herb now, where are you in this work? Hoping this finds its' way to you. Again, thank you, and if you do get to this post, please consider a brief exchange with a kindred spirit. Peace be with you.

signalship · Newbie Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 2

Blessed greetings to you. You have a good spirit for taking the time to share with positive intent your message and journey. We have a great deal in common. After cruising all the various web advisors and profiteers, your words came across very clear and strong with all the intent of your conviction. Many thanks. Am also in a creative field, and am also beginning this journey. If you check this post page, would love to exchange some thoughts, advice, and experience. How have you progressed, what is your relationship to herb now, where are you in this work? Hoping this finds its' way to you. Again, thank you, and if you do get to this post, please consider a brief exchange with a kindred spirit. Peace be with you.

Guest · Guest

Hello Signalship. I have never in my lifetime replied to anything online, today will be the my first post. You have offered me a wealth of information as I am struggling on this difficult path. I usually smoke 4 times a days and have not missed ONE day in 8 years. I always smoke before bed and will freak out if I am running low. I am now in a relationship with a person who also smokes but not constantly. If we have marijuana, then my partner will smoke but would never seek it out. Now that we share the same life, I can't justify spending money on large amounts of weed when I'm smoking all of it... and we need the money for more important expenses. We both know that it is time for me to quit. I want to stop because the dependency is turning me into a fiend. I do suffer from serious anxiety and panic...so eventhough I had something to smoke today i am already panicked about tomorrow. I smoked the last of my bag and I made a promise to myself and my partner not to get anymore. So for me I know that it is a battle that will play out in my mind, learning to remove it from my daily life. Reading your post has given me a shot of will power and all your suggestions make sense--I feel like you know exactly how I am feeling and that rarely happens to me. Thank you and best of luck!

Idalis · Newbie Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 1

Hi,

I saw your post and it reminds me of myself. I am about to embark on this same journey and it is scary when you think about it. I have been smoking daily for 8 years, I am a heavy smoker and wish to stop now. I mean for me it has just simply turned into a bad habit, I can be smoking and at the same time thinking "why am I smoking this". I also have a partner that is a smoker, and I think that I have associated my smoking with just relaxing on the porch and good conversation, just chillin.

The one thing that I have noticed through out my years of smoking, is that when I am at work or doing something that requires me to be up and out of the house early... and then keeps me out all day, and busy. I have no craving for it, and can go all day. I then make it home later that night and I automatically feel that I need it to wind down or go to sleep. To me this simply demonstrates that the body does not need it, just the mind. It seems that when the mind is occupied then there is not a real need for it, as long as you stay busy. The problem for me is that I have become such a home body with not much of a schedule other than work, and just do not keep busy enough.

I am glad that I found this forum, as I know that I will need inspiration from those of you that have been successful.

Oh yeah by the way I heard that there is this supplement that you can take for the anxiety you experience getting off weed. I have not tried it yet, but am still in the research phase, you may want to check it out. It is called Picamilon

Guest · Guest

The first ppost was well written and true in its meaning, I to am embarking on a journey of realising i created my indentity around the Herb.

I do not blame the herb i blame myself, but i understand that this journey is somthing i had to do tobe where i am right now.

I am now at teh end of my first week without it and after 5 years smoking dailey (not too heavily mind lol it is 5 years after all so it might be heavey) I think i am truely a different person.

While smoking I was having extremely irrational and negative thoughts which I beleive was inspired by dreaded paranoia.

My relatives have had a history of mental health issues and i think this coupled with the smoking is what lad to my paranoia.

I am proud of what i am doing and i know everyday is another day closer to recovery.

The paranoia hasnt tottally stopped but i think thats because i am actiavly thinking about what made me paranoid and i need to sort that out other i will be in the vicious circle.

I have not tried reading to cleanse the mind but what better a time to read lord of the ring aye?

ANywya im babling which can be expected lol.

Its good to know other people have experienced these things and thats its all part of it.

oilersfan4 · Newbie Joined: 25 Aug 2008 Posts: 1

thank you quantum for that great post.

im 28 years old and i have been smoking weed since i was 15 (too long if you ask me). just recently ive come to a conclusion that its just not as fun as it used to be. ive also experienced some of the things quantum sugested like talking over people or interupting, getting angry at red lights and feeling sore and run down. while i would still like to smoke a little bit when i watch hockey games or have some drinks with friends every other weekend i dont think i could pull that off without becoming a heavy smoker again.

for the longest time i would smoke it about 4 times a day (a whole joint to myself or about 3 or 4 hits from a pipe or bong). regretably i would smoke it on my lunch break and go back to work with my head all clouded and obviously didnt perform too well (office work). last month i quit the lunch time smoking and i have noticed that my mistakes at work have almost disapeared. however, when i get off work, its all i can think about until i smoke some.

ive been trying to ease myself off of it but it hasnt been easy. in july i quit doing it at lunch, august ive kept it to once or twice a night but almost all day on the weekend. the thing i hate the most about smoking all day is that about the third or fourth time you dont even seem to get high, so whats the point right?? easier said than done though. september 1st im going to start doing it every other day and hopefully just once or twice on the weekend days (fingers crossed). october 1st is going to be a complete stop, i hope i'll be ready.

the hardest part for me is before and after a meal or after ive been away from home for the day (or a couple days). sometimes i have loss of appetite if i dont smoke it or feel sick after eating if i dont smoke some right after. i have a holiday to vegas coming up in october and i dont want to think about it once while im there. at one time i would smoke about 1/2 ounce in less than 2 weeks ($100-$125) and ive since stretched that to 3 weeks + now. im all ready for a tough couple of months ahead of me.

for me its mostly wanting to be more healthy, save some money, increrase my ambition to do active things and not crave it after meals or hard days at work. i dont really experience anxiety or paranoia like some people.

feels great to get that off my chest and i hope to see the others here posting in the next couple of months about slowing down a quitting.

Deluded · Newbie Joined: 26 Aug 2008 Posts: 1

I can't thank you all enough for your posts, but I feel I need to share with those that think they can cut down or do it occassionally. I had been a pot smoker for 9 years and have been annoyed at myself for at least 6 years for not getting off it. I kept deluding myself that i would be able to handle it if I just had a small amount, only did it at certain etc, but found if it's in the house it's getting smoked. As long term smokers know, the more you smoke, the more you need! I was smoking a quarter every 3 days and hated the thought of running out. It was nothing to have a 2 hour session before I went to bed just to get to the "right" level. As I write this, believe me I'm no hero, I've only been off it 10 days but my attitude and thoughts towards it this time are totally different. I nearly completely ruined my marriage (I have been able to do it all this time without my husband knowing! you know how sneeky we can be!) What used to annoy me the most is I started smoking it to stop myself thinking before I went to sleep and to make myself "stop" but after 9 years the opposite was true. I developed anxiety problems which have mysteriously disappeared since I stopped!! I could have fallen asleep anywhere, anytime and even when I would be nearly falling over with tiredness (had 2 babies during this time as well - no don't go there - I know) I would still think "I'll just have a couple before bed", next thing it's an hour or two later and I could have alredy been asleep. I suppose the purpose of this blog (not only to finally tell someone else) is to let you know it's probably cold turkey or nothing. The way I'm handling it at the moment is to tell myself it isn't forever (even though Id be an absolute idiot to go back to it), it's still available so I'm not missing out and to remind myself how less irritated/irrational I am off it and waking in the morning is now not a chore. Hope this helps someone and if I get back to this site I would be wrapt if someone found it helpful.

Guest · Guest

Hey, av found all ure comments really useful, i've been smoking for 3days every day up to 1gram and 3/4days ago i decided i wanted to quit, i found the first two days a real struggle, i'd feel irratible, paranoid and would sweat like a monkey, but all along i would tell myself 'i dont want it, i dont need it' and now am starting to believe it. Just wanted to say to all tho that wanna quit, it can be done and life can be fun sober!!!!

Guest · Guest

hi! Thank you for all your comments. Sometimes is nice to know that there are more people in the same situation as me.

I've been smoking daily for more than 10 years. The last few years i started getting paranoid and i tried quitting a few times. This attempts usually last until i smoke one in the end of the day. Most of the time i'm smoking a joint and thinking that i need to quit, and that i'm gonna do it tomorrow. But tomorrow is the same all over.

I'm gonna try really hard now to quit, and just try to forget that weed exists.

Good luck to everyone.

Recommendations on how to stop smoking marijuana and what symptoms to watch for

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